The title that ended an era of 'Divas'
In short: In 2008, a new championship was born to solve a logistical headache. It would become the centerpiece of women's wrestling for eight years before being retired in a move that fundamentally changed how female athletes were presented in the ring.
The WWE Divas Championship was created in 2008 as part of a brand extension. At the time, the existing Women's Championship was exclusive to the Raw brand, leaving women on the SmackDown brand without a primary title to compete for. To fix this, then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero introduced the Divas Championship on June 6, 2008. On July 20, 2008, Michelle McCool secured her first championship by beating Natalya during The Great American Bash. The inaugural champion was crowned after a Golden Dreams match involving several other competitors. Maryse later won the belt but suffered a dislocated kneecap shortly after her victory.
The title's history was defined by brand shifts and unifications. In 2009, Maryse took the title to Raw with her during a draft, making it exclusive again until 2010. That year, McCool unified the Divas and Women's titles, creating the 'Unified WWE Divas Championship.' By late 2010, the title was made accessible to both brands again, a status that became permanent in 2011 when the brand extension ended. Eve Torres became the first person to hold the title three times by late 2012. During its tenure, AJ Lee set a record for the most total days as champion at 406.
The championship reached its conclusion at WrestleMania 32 in 2016. In a pivotal moment for the industry, Hall of Famer Lita announced that the Divas Championship would be retired and replaced by a new Women's Championship. This transition also saw the retirement of the term 'Diva,' rebranding all female performers as WWE Superstars. Charlotte became the final champion, winning the match against Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks to claim both the retiring Divas title and the new championship. This final match occurred in Houston, Texas, where Charlotte defeated Nikki Bella on September 20, 2015. The title's history concluded with only 26 total reigns and one vacancy.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: WWE Divas Championship
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-wwe-divas-championship.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
